Also - good modeling practice dictates that adding dead-weight to a powered model should be a last resort. Especially when the model has a marginal power-to-weight ratio in the first place. For those who would rather not reduce the performance of their F4U by adding dead-weight, but don't want to have a battery hanging below the plane, see the pics below. See the video for an example of the performance you'll get, and to see that the battery isn't visible in flight.

Images

I just got done beefing up my F4U a bit. I replaced the motor with a brushless HobbyKing AP05 and a GWS 5030 prop but I am sticking to a 1S setup right now to keep it small-park-friendly. Hopefully I'll get enough power out of it. To my surprise, when you stick with a 1S setup, you can power the ESC right off of the main board so there's no need for too much extra wiring. Just go from the main board -> ESC -> motor.

I also replaced the wing with a T-28 wing, which I think is a little more crash resistant without the joints from the inverted gull wing design. I coated the wing and the front of the fuselage in fiber glass fabric and made new tail pieces out of carbon fiber. The AUW is 50g (45g without the battery.) I haven't flown it yet but it seems fairly tail heavy, which probably has a lot to do with using a little too much adhesive to attach the tail pieces. I might have to see about lightening that up.

Mine weighs 40 grams without the battery, and that is with bigger wheels, servo covers, and a closed-in battery compartment. It is amazing you could do all those things to yours and gain so little weight. Is the wing lighter than the stock one? What about the tail feathers, how thick was the carbon you used?

The inverted gull wing is what defines the look and flying style of this plane, but it is fragile. It seems to be more brittle than the stuff they use in their other planes. I am very curious to hear how it flies with the 1s brushless setup.

Mine weighs 40 grams without the battery, and that is with bigger wheels, servo covers, and a closed-in battery compartment. It is amazing you could do all those things to yours and gain so little weight. Is the wing lighter than the stock one? What about the tail feathers, how thick was the carbon you used?

The inverted gull wing is what defines the look and flying style of this plane, but it is fragile. It seems to be more brittle than the stuff they use in their other planes. I am very curious to hear how it flies with the 1s brushless setup.

I'm not sure how the wing weight compares but it was a stock ParkZone T-28 wing so I would think it would be comparable. The front of the T-28 wing comes forward a bit in the middle where it attaches to the body so I had to trim it back just a bit. I'm also using the slightly smaller Corsair belly pan. The wing is covered with thin fiberglass cloth that supposedly weighs just 18g for one square meter and it's attached using thin foam safe CA that wicked and spread pretty thin compared to how thick epoxy would have been. Covering the wing changed its weight from 4g to 8g. The fuselage bottom went from 3g to 4g. I didn't weigh the top but I would expect another 1-2 gram change. The motor itself weighs about the same as the stock motor and gearbox combined, so the weight of the prop saver, carbon fiber mount, ESC and wiring were all extra... but probably not more than a few grams total. The ESC claims to weigh just 0.7g and my kitchen scale seems to agree, it's <1g.

I forgot to weigh the tail pieces before I installed them but I used 0.5mm carbon fiber. I also bought a 0.25mm sheet but it seems too flimsy to not bend in the air/wind. If it bent over, that would prevent the surfaces from moving.

I'm also curious how it will fly on 1S. I just finished it last night and haven't been able to fly it yet. I'm using a GWS 5030 prop and I'm not sure it's moving enough air. Someone in this same threat had a good amount of lucking a pitchier 5043 prop with the stock motor. So unless I get a considerably higher prop speed, I don't think the prop I have will cut it.

I finally got an aileron servo stuck all the way in one direction when i smacked the ground today with the bottom of the servo trying to do a hand launch=>touch and go. How do I unstick it? It won't move, doesn't make any noise. the little pinion and gear isn't jammed or broken, just won't turn.

With the power off and the rod disconnected, you should be able to spin the wheel with your finger, and the worm gear should go back and forth. Then when you have the receiver on and you connect the battery, it should center itself. It might be stuck off the end of the carbon track or else it might be hooped.

With the power off and the rod disconnected, you should be able to spin the wheel with your finger, and the worm gear should go back and forth. Then when you have the receiver on and you connect the battery, it should center itself. It might be stuck off the end of the carbon track or else it might be hooped.

Yeah I can spin the wheel but it gets to a certain point and I feel some resistance/notchiness, and can push past it but im not sure im actually turning it the right direction to get it closer to center. Am going to try powering on again soon and see if anything happens. Worst case scenario its what a 13 dollar replacement?

It's probably worth it to disassemble the white worm gear part from the main servo PCB (a couple of tiny screws) then that will lift out and away, and you can check both the carbon track, as well as the silver fingers before you finally give up on it. It could be the silver sliders are bent and not making good contact.

It's probably worth it to disassemble the white worm gear part from the main servo PCB (a couple of tiny screws) then that will lift out and away, and you can check both the carbon track, as well as the silver fingers before you finally give up on it. It could be the silver sliders are bent and not making good contact.

yeah TINY screws.. not sure i have anything small enough to unscrew them. Oh wait, just realized I was looking at the screw end not the head! Took off the servo from the wing and I think I can get them out. The servo managed to recenter itself, but it will only move if i give the gear a little roll by hand, then it loudly wretches into position, like something is binding in there.

yeah TINY screws.. not sure i have anything small enough to unscrew them. Oh wait, just realized I was looking at the screw end not the head! Took off the servo from the wing and I think I can get them out. The servo managed to recenter itself, but it will only move if i give the gear a little roll by hand, then it loudly wretches into position, like something is binding in there.

If you haven't already, take the servo assembly off of the PCB. See if the gear and shaft rotate freely when it's not pressed against the board. Give everything a good cleaning and re-assemble it. If it still isn't moving well, I've seen the servo assembly sold separately at my local hobby shop. You could replace that part by itself, or if it's a stand-alone servo (not the integrated servos on the all-in-one board,) replacing the whole thing might save you some headache for a couple dollars more.

If you haven't already, take the servo assembly off of the PCB. See if the gear and shaft rotate freely when it's not pressed against the board. Give everything a good cleaning and re-assemble it. If it still isn't moving well, I've seen the servo assembly sold separately at my local hobby shop. You could replace that part by itself, or if it's a stand-alone servo (not the integrated servos on the all-in-one board,) replacing the whole thing might save you some headache for a couple dollars more.

Some interesting developments. I took the servo motor and worm gear part off the board, and it was still binding. Pulled the white gear off the end of the worm shaft and the servo motor started spinning at full speed constantly in one direction and won't stop no matter what control I give to the ailerons. Maybe it is freaking out because it feels no resistance. I think the main problem is some of the little teeth on the main gear have been scratched and broken. It is almost invisible to the naked eye/doesn't look that bad, but it seems to be what is causing the binding/notchy feel when the two gears were touching. So theoretically all I need is a new one of those gears...

Maybe it is freaking out because it feels no resistance. I think the main problem is some of the little teeth on the main gear have been scratched and broken. It is almost invisible to the naked eye/doesn't look that bad, but it seems to be what is causing the binding/notchy feel when the two gears were touching.

Ok, it all makes sense now. You are correct that there is a problem with the teeth on the main gear. I had the same thing happen to one on a helicopter where you could touch it and it would move, and upon close examination it turned out to be a piece of grit stuck in between 2 teeth. I was able to pick it out with a razor blade and it has worked fine ever since. In your case, you either have broken teeth or something stuck in there from the crash.

The reason it is freaking with the gear removed is because it is not getting any feedback from the brushes moving on the slider. That is what tells the chip that the servo is is in the position it is supposed to be, and the chip would then cut the power to the motor. When I broke the one on my Corsair, the end of the shaft that holds the main gear broke, and the gear was gone along with that short piece of shaft. When I picked the plane up off the grass, the little servo motor was screaming just like yours, and for the same reason. I ordered a new servo, and 8 weeks later it finally arrived.

I think the main problem is some of the little teeth on the main gear have been scratched and broken. It is almost invisible to the naked eye/doesn't look that bad, but it seems to be what is causing the binding/notchy feel when the two gears were touching. So theoretically all I need is a new one of those gears...

These weren't a stock item for my LHS (HobbyTown), but they "special order" from Horizon weekly and just charge Horizon's list price with no s/h added. So, other than the week's lag in getting an item, it's an easy way to get things like these gears. Good luck!